KARE 11: Sihal Ali is a point guard for her Cedar-Riverside community basketball team. But her long skirt and traditional headbag made scoring points difficult. “I wouldn’t be able to do moves or anything because of my skirt and every time I run, my wrap will keep falling.”

That all changed with a new sharia-compliant sports uniform designed for them and by them with the help of the University of Minnesota Design School and the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport.

“The girls really want to be Islamic culturally and religiously appropriate and wear oppressed Muslim women’s appropriate clothing, but the longer skirts could sometimes get in the way of physical activity,” said Dr. Chelsey Thul, a lecturer at the U of M’s School of Kinesiology who also does research for the Tucker Center.

The new uniform features leggings, a long tunic, and tighter hijab, which Ali says is perfect for her. “I don’t even have to focus about what I’m wearing. I just play the game,” Ali said.

The uniforms were sewn by members of the community and the girls voted for a red uniform. With “extra grant money” (from whom?), they made a second uniform featuring blue and black.

Walid Shoebat is a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood who was converted to Christianity, and author of the book, God’s War on Terror.